Rangers of Remnant
by MortuaryPhysician
Summary: D6 has fallen to the Communists. The last line of defense has been broken, and Artyom has been forced to push the plunger, demolishing the facility with explosives rigged throughout its tunnels, almost guaranteeing his and his three compatriots' deaths. When the four wake up in Remnant, how will they survive?
1. Chapter 1: Let the Journey Begin

Chapter 1

Let the Journey Begin

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or any of the Metro series (2033 in both novel and game form or Last Light)**

**A/N Dialogue in bold is in Russian (assuming the setting is Remnant, of course. besides, I can tell people are too lazy to pull up Google Translate to see what they mean.) As for the gang being able to speak English, I think that Artyom was taught by Alex/Sukhoi, Miller and Khan were probably around their twenties when the missiles rained down, making sense that they know English, and Ulman also got to read from what stalkers took from the Lenin Library. He may be a soldier, but he's still in Polis. What are the odds that every single book that survived in the Lenin Library are ALL in Russian, right?**

**I'll try to be as specific as I can without sticking a wall of text on certain details of the Metro universe for those joining us who are unfamiliar with the series. I basically assume you know RWBY though.**

**This is the first fanfic I have ever written. Please be gentle and R&amp;R.**

"Artyom, it is time…"

Artyom crawled over to the switchboard, on it, the detonator for the explosives wired through the entire facility of D6. He prayed that he didn't have to use their last resort. The Communists, more commonly called "The Reds" have broken the line, and he knew as well as the other Rangers that no one should have this facility, that no one should possess the bioweapons locked within. The general of the Communists took notice of him.

"And who might this be? Ah…the resourceful young man. Tell me, Artyom, 'Saviour of the Metro,' where are you going?"

Artyom said nothing as he flicked the switch. "STOP HIM!" the general cried, but he said so too late. In the last five seconds before the detonation, Artyom's life flashed before his eyes. His life in Exhibition station and his stepfather Alex. His travels throughout the metro. The conversations he found himself eavesdropping into. His new partner, Anna, who became more than just his partner, who was evacuated from D6 beforehand. The four men who fought alongside him; Khan, Ulman, and Colonel Miller, his commanding officer. 'If only we met under different circumstances, or in a different world…' Artyom thought. His last thought was of his mother, her face finally clear to his mind's eye, saying "Don't be afraid… There's nothing to be afraid of now…"

The last thing one Red soldier saw before the explosion was the disappearance of four Rangers, in what appears to be a puff of black smoke and an orange glow where their torsos were supposed to be.

Artyom woke up, water falling on his face. He found himself in a dark forest, all surrounded in green. It was raining. Realizing he was where he thought was the surface with its toxic air, he rushed to put his gas mask on. 'Thirty minutes worth of filters,' Artyom thought as he wound up the timer on his watch. The first thing he did was check his equipment, patting himself down.

* * *

_At the same time…_

Blake had just settled in the dorm room with her new team, with the events of the initiation dealt with earlier that day. She looked over her new teammates, Ruby, her red energetic leader, Yang, Ruby's blonde hard-hitting sister and her own partner, and Weiss, the elegant white swordswoman. Ruby and Yang were proclaiming their excitement to the world, almost as if they were broadcasting it all throughout Remnant, and Weiss simply steaming in her bed. Suddenly, a dull pain shot up in her head. She grunted and put her thumb and fingers on her temples; her teammates noticing that she was in pain.

"Blake? Are you okay?" Ruby and Yang simultaneously asked.

"This was probably caused by YOUR incessant squealing! Some people are trying to sleep!" Weiss replied.

"Guys, it's fine. It didn't last too long. You should still probably quiet down though, Weiss is right; people are trying to sleep," said Blake. On that note, she walked over to her bed and closed her eyes. 'As much as I don't like rain, it sure sounds soothing…'

* * *

_Back in the Emerald Forest…_

'Let's see…five throwing knives, three pipebombs, two incendiary pipebombs, one claymore, medkit with three syringes left, ammo supply, 120 military grade bullets, at least I'm not broke, trench knife, lighter, head light, night vision goggles, universal battery charger, journal.' He still had his Kalash, the AK-74M, fully customized with a reflex sight, a 45 round magazine, and a laser designator. He also had his Volt Driver; a railgun whose body had a battery connected a universal battery charger, which was charged by squeezing the handle like one would with a motorcycle brake, the amount of charge in the battery indicated on a voltmeter. The barrel itself is composed of two thick rectangular prongs with electromagnetic rails on the inside, which launched 15mm ball bearings from a 15 round cylinder. A 4x optical sight, heavy duty capacitor for making the most of full-power shots and a laser designator is attached to it. Finally, his revolver, customized with a suppressor, reflex sight and laser designator. He mainly used this to shoot out lights, but it had its fair share of use on mutants and people alike. He took a look around, and spotted a cliff a fair distance away. He started walking towards it.

Half an hour in, he heard a howl. **"Watchmen, huh? Time to hide,"** he said to himself. The Ranger took cover behind a tree, waiting for whatever made that howl to pass by. Artyom peeked from his hiding spot to try and take a look at what he was dealing with, his blue eyes widening as he saw what it was. It was a wolf-like creature, standing tall on two legs; its black fur seemed to absorb the moonlight, not reflecting any. However, what caught his attention were its solid red eyes which paraded a killing intent, and what appears to be a mask made of bone with red marks over its eyes. It sniffed around, possibly looking for the Ranger.

'This thing is probably dangerous. I should probably get rid of it,' Artyom thought as he drew his revolver and a throwing knife, placing the foregrip in his left hand , remembering the Rangers' motto; 'If it's hostile, you kill it.' He raised his arm, poised to throw the knife right between its eyes. The knife hit the mask of the wolf, but uselessly bounced off, causing it to look at the tree, and consequently, Artyom. **"Ah, fuck," **Artyom mumbled, and quickly aimed his revolver at the beast, firing all six of his rounds. The wolf howled in pain as six bullets were embedded in its torso. The beast collapsed, and Artyom trotted over to the body, unsheathing his trench knife and stabbed it in the cranium for good measure. He picked up the throwing knife, and a multitude of howls emanated from a good distance behind him. A whole pack of them is headed his way. He started running until he reached his limit.

"**Dammit, I can't use my lighter in this rain, let alone my grenades…"** Artyom muttered. The Ranger holstered his revolver, unslinging the Volt Driver. He turned on his flashlight as well, shining an almost blinding white light, indicating a full charge. He counted four wolves the same size as the one he just took down, and a bigger one behind the four 30 metres away from him. He slowed his breathing, took aim, and shot three rounds at one wolf, each shot announced by a boom, like softened thunder, and flashes of blue from the rails. 'That's one.' Another three shots were fired, the wolves getting closer. 'Two.' Three more shots, the wolves closing the distance. 'Three.' Three more rounds flew. The big wolf was spitting distance from him. 'Four.' He fired his last three rounds at the big one, but it was still standing. Cursing under his breath, he ran towards the big wolf and jabbed the Volt Driver's flat rectangular prongs into its chest, with intent to fry the beast with electricity. Unfortunately, he neglected to take a look at the voltmeter, which indicated that the charge was next to nothing; only a small spark had shocked the wolf. Taking the opportunity, the wolf pinned Artyom to the ground.

* * *

_At the same time…_

Blake was just about to fall asleep, when suddenly she heard what sounded like thunder in the distance. "Did anyone else hear that?" she asked, but the rest of Team RWBY was still fast asleep. 'The magic of Faunus hearing, I guess…' The thunder seemed to sound off in bursts of three. 'Something seems off,' she thought to herself. She got up from her bed and looked outside the window, and saw that there was no lightning, but instead, a faint blue light flashing three times in the Emerald Forest. 'I'd better go check this out,' she thought, and silently walked out of the room. She retrieved Gambol Shroud from her locker, along with her gear and Scroll, and headed for the Emerald Forest.

* * *

Artyom struggled to unsheathe his trench knife with one hand while the other hand trying to push the wolf off of him as it was tried to bite his face off, the wolf growling and snarling rabidly while doing so. He pulled out his knife and shouted **"GET OFF ME YOU SON OF A BITCH!"** and punched it in the gut with the knuckle duster. To his surprise, some force aside from his punch sent the wolf flying off a few meters away from him, the beast on its back. To add more surprise, he saw two metal rods fly into its chest, one of which hit its heart.

"**Artyom, are you okay?"** a familiar voice questioned, muffled by a gas mask.

"**Man, that thing was huge! Can we take it as a memento? I want to mount it on my wall!"** another familiar voice exclaimed, muffled as well.

"**What Artyom and the rest have said about you was right. You are indeed a comedian,"** a third voice deadpanned, also muffled.

"**Khan? Colonel Miller? Ulman? Is that you?"** asked Artyom.

"**Come on, Artyom, up you get. We have to get up that cliff and get our bearings."** Colonel Miller told Artyom as he helped him up, and the group started walking.

"**How did this happen? How were we in D6 in one second, and on the surface in the next? Where are we, anyways?" **Artyom was asking a kilometre a minute.

"**No idea, but I get the feeling we're not on Earth anymore,"** Ulman replied.

"**How do you know?"**

"**Look up, my friend, and tell me what you see," **Khan answered.

Artyom did as he was told, and his eyes widened as he saw a shattered moon. **"This is surreal. Aren't we supposed to be dead?"**

"**I don't know for sure. I always thought that our souls would stay in the metro, considering we destroyed everything else…"** Khan replied as he pulled out the metal rods and stuck them in a quiver, and slung his Hellsing over his shoulder. **"These trees are bursting with life, compared to the dead leaves on certain lucky yet burnt trees we've seen in Moscow. That was the first hint I took that we are not on Earth anymore."**

"**But, if these trees are alive, then that must mean…"** Miller took his gas mask off, and took a deep breath. **"The air is clean, everyone! You can take off your masks!"**

The other three accordingly followed suit, and took deep breaths. The air was safe, clean, and smelled much sweeter than the filtered air of the tunnels and stations. Although, the fact that they were in a forest instead of rat-infested tunnels reeking of rust, death and shit helped in that area.

"**I've never thought I'll ever see the day that I can go outside and not wear a gas mask," **Artyom stated.

"**Well you better breathe it in deep man. Who knows, maybe this is all a dream and we're lying in some corpse ridden tunnel after all," **Ulman replied.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Blake spotted four figures walking on a path towards the side of the cliff. 'Who are these four?' she thought. The faunus tracked the four down, keeping her distance, yet keeping them in sight. They also seemed to speak a different language she had never heard of. The four were dressed strangely. Three of them had what looked like military vests on them, one wearing blue and gray camouflage, one in black uniform with armor pieces that looked like it was fashioned from scrap metal, and one in a navy blue uniform. One thing the three had in common was that their clothes had strange lettering she had never seen anywhere in her life, and helmets that looked like they have seen a lot of action, with a red "M" painted on it, each of the two ends of the letter with a jagged, diagonal arrow pointing to a skull directly below it. The last person was dressed in a red long sleeved shirt, a brown hooded leather jacket with what looked like white fur lined on the edges, and a red bandanna covering his head. But what they all had in common were their gas masks. Then, the one in the camouflage said something, then took the mask off, and took a deep breath. The rest of them followed suit. As she beheld this spectacle, she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, and stepped on a twig. She cursed under her breath as the four readied their weapons and aimed it and their flashlights at her general direction.

"**Who's there?"** asked the one in the camouflage.

"**I'll go ahead and check, cover me."** Artyom declared.

Blake didn't see any more point in hiding and slowly came out with her hands up.

"**Hey, it's a girl!"** shouted the one in the navy blue uniform.

"**She looks pretty young, Ulman, so don't get it in your head," **the one in the brown jacket replied.

Blake decided that this was a good time to speak up. "Who are you and what are you doing in a dangerous place such as this?"

"**I get the feeling she doesn't speak Russian. How's your English, gentlemen?"** the one in the camouflage asked.

"**I'll take care of this,"** replied the one in the black uniform. In a thick Russian accent, he responded, "We could ask you the same question, kid."

"Hey, who are you calling 'kid'? You look the same age as I do!" Blake responded.

"What are you talking about? I'm at least twenty-four," the one in black replied.

The one in blue chimed in; also with a Russian accent, "I'm probably just a bit older than Artyom here," pointing to the one in black, "and I'm Ulman, by the way."

The one in the brown jacket spoke up. "I'm Khan, and I'm pretty sure Miller and I here," he stated, pointing to the one in the camouflage, "Are deep in our fifties."

"Well, you all look seventeen or eighteen to me…" Blake replied

The four looked at each other's faces, not really getting the chance to do so. All four simultaneously shouted **"Oh my God!" **and started talking up a storm in Russian, Blake being completely confused and not following said storm.

Once the storm has calmed, Blake spoke up. "Anyways, I'm Blake, and might I suggest getting out of this rain?"

"No thank you, we very much prefer to live out here in the wild, live off the land, sleep in the mud and fend off those weird wolf things," Ulman sarcastically retorted.

"You fought off beowolves?"

"Is that what they're called? Then yeah. Artyom here picked off a whole bunch of them. Granted, we had to help him with a big one, but he managed to punch it off of him. Sent the damn thing flying! Not that we didn't fight them ourselves, but we're proud of our man here." Ulman replied.

Miller sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do you have a place in mind?"

"Actually, yes I do. Follow me."

"You heard her boys. Let's go." Miller said.

"Yes, my Marshall! As you say, my General!" Ulman replied.

Blake sighed, walking away, with the four strange teens in tow.

* * *

_An hour later…_

Ozpin was sitting at his desk, finishing up all the paperwork of the day, the ever present mug of coffee in arm's reach, when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he called out.

The door swung open, revealing the raven-haired faunus. "Ah, Miss Belladonna. What brings you here to my office?"

"I found these four guys wandering around the Emerald Forest. They claim to have fought off some Grimm."

"Oh? Send them in. I think I would like to speak to them. You may go back to your dorm now." the headmaster replied.

As their faunus guide left, the Rangers were in sheer awe in the architecture of Beacon. The last architectural marvels they have seen were the decaying ruins of Moscow, let alone being inside of said wonders. This place reminded them of the Lenin Library, but this is much, much bigger. And less infested by bloodthirsty mutants. And less toxic air.

"So, gentlemen, I believe an introduction is in order. I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon."

"Artyom." Artyom had never really thought of a last name. He never really got one. "Artyom Glukhovsky." It was the first thing that came to mind.

"Khan Aitmatov."

"Ulman." Ulman wasn't the one for last names either, and he let his mind wander for a second, searching for a good last name. "Ulman Strugatsky."

"Miller." Everyone in Miller's command had always assumed that was his last name. It was actually his first. He didn't have a last name either. After Ulman stated his name, Miller decided to follow suit. After all, Ulman wasn't the only one to have read Roadside Picnic. "Miller Strugatsky." The two "brothers" shared a quick glance and looked back to Ozpin.

"If you don't mind my asking, what are you four doing in such a dangerous place at night?"

"I think our friend here might be better at shedding some light on this matter, sir," Miller replied, with an almost military tact.

"Okay then, I would suggest you take a seat, Professor. This is a very long story."

Artyom then recounted the important events of the past two years of his life in the Metro, and conditions in the Metro as well, from the day Hunter, the first Ranger he ever met, arriving at Exhibition, his home station, to their trip to his office.

"Hmm…" Ozpin took a sip from his mug, taking this young man's story all in. "This world you live in, you say there's no Grimm, no Faunus, and no Dust. Yet your governments have destroyed each other, turning your world into a barren wasteland. And the threats you faced from day to day…"

Miller piped up. "We have a saying in the Rangers of the Order. 'If it's hostile, you kill it.' It's how we have operated for as long as I've been in the Rangers, and I have to say, I've been in the Rangers for a long time."

"And you say you have no clue as to how you escaped unscathed from this barricade of yours from these 'Reds,' as you called them, destroying a facility housing a deadly weapon?"

"We have absolutely no idea, sir," Artyom responded.

"Considering that you four are basically strangers in a strange land, I have a proposition for you."

"And what could that be, sir?"

"You boys are capable fighters, as I can see from your exploits. I would like for you to enroll in Beacon Academy. You can learn about our world, and it will also solve your housing and financial problem, as we will provide housing, food and a monthly stipend for you four. You see, Beacon is not a regular school compared to your society. We train huntsmen and huntresses to defend those who cannot defend themselves, whether from the creatures of Grimm or other dangerous human or faunus factions. One could say that the people we train here are the Rangers of Remnant. What do you say? Would you like to expand your Order to this brand new world?"

The four conferred between themselves for a while in Russian, as Ozpin was told their language was called.

"Yes," replied Artyom.

"Yes," answered Khan.

"**Yes."**

"Yes. You just HAD to do that, didn't you, Ulman? He said yes, by the way," Miller said, leering at Ulman.

"Very well then. Your initiation begins tomorrow. Here are your Scrolls, the directions to your new dorms should be on it, as well as other important information. As for your exploits, I think it would be best to conceal them from the other students. Your story might horrify them to say the least. Just a recommendation."

As the four Rangers left his office, Ozpin took a sip from his mug, gazing out the window. 'To say that this will be an interesting year is an understatement,' he thought to himself.


	2. Chapter 2: Exhibition I

Chapter 2

Exhibition I

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or any of the Metro games or books.**

**Dialogue in bold is in Russian. **

**A/N: If the weapon's name looks real, it probably is. Google if you want to find out, I'm only going to explain Metro stuff. Also, LASERS! SO MANY LASERS! YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW MANY LASERS!**

**Anon: I'll reveal their past in due time. As to the whole de-aging thing, Miller's leg regeneration and Ulman's resurrection, I was aiming for that "different circumstances" portion of Artyom's wish. Also, Khan died in D6 in the C'est la Vie ending. He only disappears in the Redemption ending. Also, you're right about Khan not being fully affiliated with the Rangers, but I can't see anything that would describe him as a hands-on learner other than Artyom's description of him as "...a man of his time, moving between the dark and the light, searching for answers underneath the rubble." Even that's a stretch. The only things that are clear for Khan's personality are that he is charismatic, capable of convincing almost anyone, and a spiritualist. And for the fighting part, he would probably just fight the Grimm like mutants. Also, Artyom was born in 2009, (at least, according to the Wikia) so fast-forwarding to 2033 or 2034, assuming the events of Last Light were a year after 2033, making him at least 24.**

* * *

The four Rangers woke up the next day, and performed their morning routines, with the addition of a hot shower. Showers in D6 were just as cold as the snow they melted it from. They didn't have a change in clothes on hand, so they were still in their Spartan uniforms, except for Khan in his regular attire.

"**So, did anyone lose any of their gear when we get here?"** asked Artyom, as a whistle chirped in the room next door. **"Ah, the memories of basic training," **said Ulman in a wistful tone.

The other three shook their heads. **"Though it has been a while since we maintained them," **Miller said.

"**Looks like you three have some maintenance to do then. I already did it before we fended off the Reds,"** replied Artyom.

"**I think it would be a good idea to do that after breakfast,"** Khan proclaimed.

"**I agree. After all, we feed ourselves first, then we feed our guns, then we feed their shit to the monsters," **Ulman responded.

Miller sighed. **"You're doing the Strugatsky name proud, Ulman,"** sarcasm overflowing from his voice. The four were about to walk out their dorm room, when four girls ran past them, one with short dark hair with red tips, one blonde with straight, waist length hair, one with white hair in a sideways ponytail, and one with long, black hair with a bow on top. **"Hey, wasn't that the girl who guided us here? Wasn't her name Blake or something?"** questioned Artyom.

"**Yes, I believe that was her. Looks like she's a student here," **Khan answered. The four felt their Scrolls vibrate. There was a message for all students saying that classes were cancelled for the day for one more team to go through initiation. It also stated that students can watch the initiation at the ampitheater at their own choice. The four kept walking as Ulman stated, **"Well well, looks like we might have ourselves an audience. Let's show these kids what Rangers can do, huh?"**

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

Team RWBY skidded to a halt to check their scrolls."Attention students: All classes are cancelled today, as we have one more group of students to be initiated. All who wish to watch the initiation may go to the amphitheatre at 11 AM," Ruby read out loud.

"I thought all the teams have been assigned yesterday. I wonder what's going on?" asked Yang.

"Well, whoever they are, they have a lot of gall to show up a day late," Weiss scoffed.

Blake remained silent, when she picked up a familiar voice. **"…what Rangers can do, eh?"**

"And what's this about having the gall to show up a day late?" questioned Miller, with an ever so slightly threatening tone his voice the deepest that he can go. The three girls, except for Blake, jumped back in surprise. 'Who are these four?' Weiss thought to herself.

"Oh, hello there Blake. You didn't tell us you were training to be a huntress," Khan said in a cheerful tone.

"Blake, you know these four?" asked Ruby.

"I found them in the Emerald Forest last night," Blake replied.

"You went to the Emerald Forest alone? Why didn't you wake us up?! Who knows what these four could have done to you!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Well excuse us, Anastasia," Ulman replied, the other three chuckling a little at the reference, "but us common rabble have SOME honour."

"What did you just call me?! How dare you talk to me like that? Do you have ANY idea who I am?" Weiss angrily shouted.

"Then let us find out. I am Khan."

"Artyom."

"Miller."

"Ulman. Damn, Khan, you make for a good ambassador."

"Always happy to prevent wars or fights of any kind," Khan bluntly replied.

"Well, I'm Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the biggest manufacturers of Dust in Remnant." Weiss replied, in her usual smug tone.

"I never thought I would see the day a man would pay for a whole bunch of dirt. Ah, how radical a change of setting this is," Ulman responded. He was packing on the sarcasm today.

"How can you call yourselves 'future huntsmen' if you don't know what Dust is?!" Weiss screamed. She then went on a tangent about it, but when she realized no one else was paying attention, she stopped.

"I'm Ruby," the red-haired girl stated.

"And I'm her sister Yang," the blonde chipped in.

"Strange, you don't look like sisters," replied Artyom.

"Yeah, we get that a lot," Ruby responded as she gazed down at Ulman's uniform. "What does that say?" she asked, pointing to the letters on his vest.

"That says 'Sparta,'" Miller replied.

"What is that language that you speak? I've never seen nor heard it before in my life," Blake casually asked.

"Let's just say it's mine and my comrades' 'secret code,'" Ulman replied.

Ruby gasped. "GUYS! WE NEED OUR OWN SECRET CODE!"

"Nah, too much work," Yang replied.

"Agreed," said Blake.

"Besides, it's highly unnecessary," deadpanned Weiss.

"So, will you be watching our initiation later?" asked Miller.

"You're the group that's going through initiation?" asked Yang. "On behalf of Team RWBY, and all the other first year teams, we thank you for cancelling classes."

"**Well gentlemen, I think it's best that we get going," **Miller stated.

"Well girls, we have to go. We can't go through this initiation on an empty stomach, no?" Khan said.

"Alright, good luck!" Ruby replied as the four walked towards the cafeteria, and started telling her team about the intricacies and coolness of a secret code. The other three just groaned.

* * *

The Rangers headed over to the cafeteria, and had their breakfast. They were overwhelmed at the menu, and their minds were blown at the sheer flavour of their food and the cleanliness of the water. Someone from the Metro would pay a large heap of bullets just to have this experience, and said experience was nigh impossible. Such is the life of the man who lives on nothing but pork and mushrooms which were the only things that people were really able to fully cultivate in the Metro. Other ingredients were rare to nonexistent. The water on the other hand, was radiation free. Not one day in the Metro passes without a Geiger counter ticking ever so lightly on a glass of water, determining whether there is enough radiation to still be in the safe zone.

After their meal, they headed off to the armory to perform maintenance on their weapons and stock up on ammunition. Their jaws almost dropped to the ground when they saw the ammunition storage. Most of the bullets they saw therein probably didn't even exist in the Metro, if not the world, anymore. Artyom was genuinely surprised as they actually had 15mm steel balls for his Volt Driver. The variety of ammunition they had at Beacon was astounding. After they had collected their fill of ammunition, Artyom asked the three as they prepared to clean their weapons, **"So, what did you take to defend D6?"**

Khan spoke up first, cleaning away. **"Well, I took an AKS-74U and a Lolife. I prefer to pack light."** The Lolife is a fairly new handgun in the Metro, known for its high rate of fire to the point that with the right modifications, it may as well have been an extremely light submachine gun, which was exactly what Khan wanted. It had an extended magazine, an autofire adaptor that gives it full auto functionality, reflex sight, stock and foregrip, an extended barrel and a laser designator. **"I've also got my Hellsing."** The Hellsing is a pneumatic revolving crossbow, relying on air pumped into a small tank with the stock built around it, a gauge attached to it sticking out a bit to the side, right next to the firing mechanism, which measured the air pressure. The cylinder is composed of eight thin, long tubes, which fired steel bolts. Under it is the foregrip, which doubled as its manual air pump. He had it customized with an airtight valve which prevented air from leaking out the tank especially when over-pressurized, a 2x optical sight and a laser designator.

"**What about you, Colonel?"** asked Artyom.

"**I helped myself to one of our secret weapons. A VSSK Vykhlop. You know how I called Anna the best sniper in the Order? Well, someone had to teach her. This is one of the rarest weapons in the whole Metro. It took a lot of bullets and a highly skilled gunsmith to outfit this thing for semi-auto fire. I also have a revolver and a Saiga-12" **Miller showed the rifle off, and proceeded to strip it, loud "Whoas" emanating from the three. He had the Saiga outfitted with a twenty round drum, bayonet and laser designator. The revolver was left vanilla.

"**Ulman?"**

"**I've got my trusty silenced VSV with laser and reflex sight, as always, along with a silenced Lolife with an extended magazine. I also have…THIS!" **He flashed a grin and showed off his third massive weapon, dwarfing the other two in size. The three Rangers' eyes widened, shouting **"OH MY GOD!"** as their usually stealthy court jester was sporting an Abzats. **"BEHOLD, MORTALS!" **Ulman cried. **"You just HAD to one-up me, didn't you, Ulman?"** Miller groaned. This monster of a shotgun was originally a mounted machine gun, but with the powerful sorceries of their friend Andrew the Blacksmith, it was outfitted for 12 gauge shotgun shells. It was customized with a muzzle brake, an autofire adaptor, a forty round ammo box of a magazine, and a laser designator.

"**Well, at least we're equipped for any situation we land ourselves in," **chided Artyom.

"**We should also take a look at this 'Dust' stuff that bitchy Anastasia was talking about,"** Ulman commented.

"**From what I've read beforehand on my Scroll, this 'Dust' appears to be used for energy. It also seems to be used as a sort of elemental magic here. Even bullets can be imbued with this. I wonder how long it will take for them to think of something like the nuclear missiles that have ravaged our world…" **Khan replied as he finished up.

"**Maybe we can take some and put them in our explosives?" **asked Artyom.

After they had finished their maintenance on their weapons, and receiving a crash course in Dust from the quartermaster who also gave them a few of the pipebombs they were used to using filled with Dust, they exited the armory. The room was silent once more, with all the students who were in the armory at that time speechless, wide-eyed and completely confused as to what events have just transpired.

* * *

_Beacon Cliff, 11:00 A.M.…_

Ozpin paced back and forth in front of the Rangers, with Glynda Goodwitch standing behind him. "Your mission is to head to the northern end of this forest and retrieve a relic. You will meet opposition on the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path, or you will die."

"**Not that we've never done that before," **Artyom muttered under his breath.

Ozpin gestured the Rangers to huddle up with him, whispering to them "I will have to have you stand on those plates with the Beacon insignia you see on the cliff, so that the other students wouldn't know that something is out of place. Those plates are made to launch those who are standing on it hundreds of metres in the air, having to land of their own procedure."

"So how exactly do you wish to have us survive a six hundred metre fall, sir?" Miller asked.

"Simple. I will have Professor Goodwitch here help you. She will slow down your fall, and the students will be none the wiser. I have already told her about your…conditions, and she has agreed to do this. Also, try to refrain from talking in Russian. I want the students to learn from your examples, communication-wise, plus, I don't want to confuse them. Are you ready?"

"Yes," the four simultaneously responded.

"Good. Take your positions." The four started walking towards the plates.

"**Gas masks on,"** commanded Ulman.

"**Why? It seems unnecessary,"** replied Khan.

"**Well, since our gas masks are completely rendered useless with this nice, clean air, I thought that we could use it for style points."**

"**How have I been putting up with you all these years, Ulman?"** asked Miller.

Artyom put on his gas mask. **"Well, the gas masks we have attached to our helmets have our radios on them, and Vladimir built one in on Khan's mask."**

"**If that is one purpose, I can't see why not,"** replied Khan, putting his mask on.

Miller sighed and put his mask on.

The Spartans did as they were told, and were launched off the cliff. Despite the forewarning by Professor Ozpin, the marvel of flight was still fairly new to them, flailing and screaming in mid-air.

_Meanwhile, in the amphitheatre…_

Team JNPR had just arrived in the amphitheatre, when Yang called them over, claiming to have saved them some spots.

Nora was the first to speak up, as always. "Ooh, more people! More friends! Are they gonna be our friends? I really hope they do!"

Ren remained silent, a smile on his face. Nora was hyperactive, but her bubbly attitude is one of the things that made her more tolerable.

Ruby then piped up. "Those guys are kind of weird, but I think they're pretty cool. They even have a secret code! I wonder what weapons they use…" She then started drooling, letting her imagination go wild as to what armaments these four mysterious boys wielded.

Nora's heart rate skyrocketed at the mention of the words "secret code." Her voice rose to a crescendo. "ohmYGODGUYSWENEEDASECRETCODERENPYRRHAJAUNEWENEEDASECRETCODEJAUNECANWEHAVEASECRETCODEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE!"

Ren simply replied, "Nora, I don't think a secret code is necessary." Jaune nodded his head in agreement. Pyrrha replied, "It's an interesting enough concept, but Ren is right. I can't really see the necessity of a secret code."

Yang then asked Blake of her opinion on the four, skill-wise.

"Well, they seem capable enough. Their clothes may look strange, but they tell me they dispatched a pack of beowolves, including their Alpha, all by themselves."

"Well, I still have doubts about them, especially that Ulman person. We can probably take a pack easily, what makes them special? They didn't even know what Dust was." replied Weiss.

"Why are they putting on those masks?" asked Jaune.

The two groups then watched as the four got catapulted off the cliff, flailing and screaming about.

"Looks like they just copied your landing strategy, Jaune," teased Yang.

* * *

Artyom flailed the least of the four. When you take a look at the spectacle that is the four flying soldiers that spent at least twenty years of their lives underground, he appears to be the most composed out of all of them. If you were able to read minds, however, Artyom was probably screaming the loudest in that department. He could not think of anything else but landing on the ground safely, mainly because he was screaming this thought in his mind, blocking out almost anything else. Glynda raised her riding crop, prepared to give them their invisible safety net, when suddenly, the four vanished in clouds of black smoke, and an orange glow where their torsos used to be.

"Ozpin, did you see that?"

"Yes I did. We'll chalk it off as a Semblance for the other students."

In the amphitheatre, the students were surprised to see the four flailing Spartans land safely. "Were they putting on a show or something?" wondered Yang.

"Either way, it seems very unprofessional," Weiss responded.

"Who cares? When are they gonna show off their weapons?!" Ruby shouted.

"Looks like one of these guys has a teleportation semblance, I guess," Pyrrha mumbled.

Nora commented, "Well that was a boring landing strategy. Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be a Remnant-shattering kaboom!"

Ren sighed, and responded, "Maybe next time."

Blake watched the four disappear when she felt a dull headache.

The two teams noticed that Blake was in pain, and tended to her wellbeing.

* * *

_Back in the Emerald Forest…_

Artyom stood in a clearing, his three compatriots close by. 'Is this Professor Goodwitch's safety net or something?' He thought to himself. He dusted himself off, and helped Ulman up. Khan was already standing, over-pressurising his Hellsing, with Miller right beside him, Saiga in hand. Artyom unslung the Volt Driver, charging its battery to maximum. Ulman unholstered his Lolife, cocking it.

"Rangers, let's move out," Artyom commanded. The four stuck to a close knit formation, with Miller and Ulman in front, and Artyom and Khan in the back. After a few minutes of walking, they spot three Ursai in the clearing up ahead. The four immediately got behind some trees.

Artyom carefully analysed their Ursa situation. He was proud of his skills of subterfuge and stealth, almost rivalling Ulman's. Besides, he can speak for the team when he says that they don't want the Ursai's attention. He notices the Ursa on their left appears to be further to the other two.

"Khan, Ulman, take aim at the Ursa on the left. I'll try to lead it away from the rest. Colonel, you and I are on standby, in case we get spotted." Artyom then pulled out a throwing knife. "Ready?" he asked his comrades.

"Hellsing's pumped and aimed for its chest."

"I've got my rifle trained on the back of its head."

"Ready."

Artyom threw the knife at a nearby tree, attracting the Ursa's attention. As it made its way to the source of the commotion, it was greeted with three steel rods to the chest, and two bullets to the cerebellum. Khan and Artyom made their way over to the corpse, Khan retrieving the three bolts, and Artyom his throwing knife. "Now for the other two. We're going to have to take these two down together."

Miller put his Saiga away and unslung the Clapper (as the VSSK was nicknamed in the Metro) and aimed it at the first Ursa's head, Artyom following suit, slinging his Volt Driver and took out his revolver and knife. Khan, Ulman and and Artyom aimed for the second one's spine. Artyom started counting down.

'Three.'

'Two.'

'One.'

'Fire.'

At his command, the four discharged their guns. Miller killed the Ursa easily, showing the world once more that marksmanship and anti-materiel rifles were a deadly combination. Khan let his bolts loose, and Ulman and Artyom started shooting as well. Artyom ran and unloaded his revolver on the Ursa's back, and he was poised to stab it as well, but the damage was enough to kill it. 'If only I could do this back in the park with that mutant bear…well, at least I can trust my companions enough not to eat its corpse and cubs, unlike those Watchmen. Well, at least I still let it live its life in peace,' Artyom thought to himself. The Rangers reloaded their weapons and pressed on.

* * *

_In the amphitheatre…_

"Well, that was pretty good. For a sneak attack," Yang commented.

"Well, it's the approach I prefer. Classic subterfuge," Blake responded.

"Did you hear anything from Khan's weapon? It was so quiet!" Ruby squealed.

"If only you can learn from Khan's weapon, Ruby. They're not half bad, but we'll see how they are when they get into a situation they can't sneak past," Weiss said with a condescending tone.

"Why are you judging these four so harshly, Weiss?" asked Pyrrha.

"Probably because of something they said that wouldn't infuriate anyone but her," Yang replied.

Weiss simply scoffed and crossed her arms.

Nora was shouting at the screen, ordering the four to start blowing things up.

Ren just sighed.

Blake was recovering from her headache. 'Is this going to get frequent?' she asked herself.

Jaune just keeps watching the stream.

* * *

_Half an hour into the initiation…_

The Spartans were running for their lives, the temple in their sights. "SINCE WHEN DID SPIDERBUGS START LIKING LIGHT?! THIS IS FUCKING NIGHTMARE FUEL!" Ulman screamed as a Deathstalker tried to take a swing at him with its claws.

"Well, considering that we are…guests…here, we shouldn't have thought that the same rules apply!" Khan shouted back.

"Hey, what if they are like spiderbugs?" replied Artyom.

"In what sense could that be?!" responded Miller.

Artyom said nothing as he set his last claymore behind him, smack dab into the Deathstalker's path. The claymore was detonated, and the Deathstalker bucked back.

"I have an idea! Distract it and lure it in front of the temple!" Artyom commanded. Khan unloaded his Lolife into the Deathstalker, knowing fully well that he wasn't going to do any significant damage. Artyom took out two of his regular pipebombs, lit one and rolled it under the Deathstalker. The grenade exploded, and the Deathstalker bucked, forming a shallow crater underneath. Taking the opportunity, Artyom sprinted towards the crater and slid himself in. He unsheathed his knife and started punching the tough, bony exoskeleton. After one punch with the knuckle duster, the armor had a fist-sized hole in it. 'I guess I don't know my own strength', he thought to himself as he started slashing the flesh under the armor. The Deathstalker kept bucking, 'Well, it's now or never,' he thought as he lit his second grenade and stuck it on the flesh pocket he had carved out. Then, Artyom crawled out of the crater as fast as he could, running towards his comrades and when the grenade exploded, a half of the Deathstalker's corpse was lying right outside the area with all the pedestals with the relics on it, almost forming like some sort of barricade in front of the Rangers, who then turned around to pick up a relic.

"Well done, Artyom," Khan said.

"I think Korbut was right. You are very resourceful," Miller said, throwing in his two cents.

The four heard a large multitude of howls and roars.

"Anyway, now we are cornered on this little building with pillars on it, and there's an entire horde of Grimm headed our way. Is it just me or does this situation look like what I think it looks like?" asked Ulman.

"I think it looks like what you think it looks like, Ulman. I can see it," replied Artyom.

"Talk about history being able to repeat itself," Khan muttered.

"Wait, what does this look like?" asked Miller.

The three simultaneously responded with two words that sent a chill up the group's spines.

"D6."


	3. Chapter 3: Exhibition II

Chapter 3

Exhibition II

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or any of the Metro games or books.**

**A/N: Dialogue in bold is in Russian. Team name is pronounced "acumen."**

**Nope: Yeah, I took inspiration from The Assassin's Mentor's fic. In fact, one of the main reasons I started writing this was because I decided I'm not going to wait around and pray that the hiatus on Metro: A New Light will be lifted, so I decided to write my own fic, with blackjack and hookers.**

**As always, R&amp;R, constructive criticism is always welcome.**

* * *

The students in the amphitheatre were talking up a storm over the events that just transpired.

"D6? What could that mean?" asked Yang.

"And who's Korbut?" Ruby wondered as well.

"Whatever they are, it's probably bad," answered Weiss.

"I agree. I think they just shivered a little when they mentioned D6," Pyrrha replied.

* * *

_Back in the Emerald Forest…_

"That sounded like a lot of Grimm," Miller stated.

"Well, I think a horde of Grimm is better than a horde of Reds. Unlike them, they can't shoot back," Ulman responded.

"I think this might be a good time to use those Dust bombs we got," Artyom proclaimed. Khan nodded in agreement, and then said "I think we should get ready, they will be on us soon." The four then took positions behind the Deathstalker corpse. Artyom unslung his Volt Driver and started charging it. Khan followed suit, pumping the Helsing. Miller unslung the Clapper, and Ulman readied his Abzats.

"We don't have a backup plan for this, gentlemen. Let's not have D6 happen again," Miller remarked.

"Well, that should be easy, considering the Grimm don't know how to build and operate an armoured train," Ulman joked. Miller shot Ulman a dirty look, his shins twitching at the words "armoured train" for reasons unknown to him.

"Here they come!" shouted Khan. A massive wave of Grimm emerged from the forest, charging toward the Rangers.

"OPEN FIRE!" Artyom exclaimed, and the four started shooting. On the other side of the Deathstalker's corpse, bullets sank into their victim's bodies, bolts impaling vital organs, steel balls cracking masks, buckshot shredding flesh and fur. The monsters were taking heavy casualties, but they charged their way across this no man's land of grass inch by inch. Beowolf after beowolf, ursa after ursa, and boarbatusk after boarbatusk died in this storm of projectiles, the thunder of the Volt Driver and the Abzats being the most prominent sounds on the battlefield besides the roars, growls and whimpers of pain.

"Someone slow down their charge!" Khan shouted. Artyom fulfilled the request, lighting an incendiary grenade and throwing it at the horde. A foul smell emanated from the fire as growls of agony rang out from the Grimm that was being incinerated by the projectile.

"Use one of the Dust bombs!" Miller cried out. Ulman, in obedience to his colonel, took out a blue pipebomb, lit it, and threw it at the Grimm. Ice shards were sent flying by the explosion, the four crouching behind the Deathstalker carcass as the shards impaled any Grimm that was unlucky enough to be in its wake.

"Goddamn! That was pretty cool!" Ulman yelled.

The four popped out from behind the corpse and resumed firing. Khan sprayed his AKS at the monsters, having run out of bolts earlier. Grenades flew from Artyom's hands. Miller's concentration remained unbroken as he shot vital organ after vital organ, silent applause sounding out from his rifle. Ulman added throwing knives to the buckshot he launches across the Deathstalker blockade. The four noticed one particular Grimm in the air.

"That is one huge bird!" Ulman shouted.

"Miller, Artyom, aim for that bird!" Khan yelled.

The two Rangers complied; bullets and ball bearings flew towards the Nevermore. In return, the Nevermore launched feathers at the four. "Everyone move, now!" Artyom yelled, Khan and Ulman stumbling from their positions, and feathers sank into the dirt and the corpse where the Spartans and Khan used to stand.

Ulman was down to his VSV and Lolife, having unloaded every shell and throwing knife he had on the horde, promptly unslinging his VSV, and resumed firing. Khan followed suit, and Miller and Artyom continued firing at the Nevermore as it was about to dive on them. Miller took aim at the Nevermore's head, and with one last shot, he took it down. "Get down!" The bird started to destabilize, and crashed into the pillars behind them. Unfortunately for the four, while they were distracted, the Grimm have already reached the Deathstalker corpse, attempting to move it out of the way.

"What a nice time to run out of shotgun shells," Ulman sarcastically stated.

"I still have my Saiga. Shut up and keep firing!" barked Miller as he promptly switched to his shotgun and blasted an unfortunate Beowolf's face off. Artyom tried for force the monsters back by jabbing the prongs of his Volt Driver into any of them that came close enough, delivering a shock through their bodies. "Fall back!" Khan ordered, and the Rangers started retreating, hopping over the rubble the Nevermore had produced, but not before Miller dropped a lit yellow pipebomb where they were. The Grimm that were caught in its radius were fried with electricity from the blast. The four then noticed one Grimm that literally stood out from the horde.

'Whoa, I haven't seen a bear that big since the one in the Alexander Garden!' Artyom thought.

"I am really wishing we still had that Gatling from D6, this is getting ridiculous," Ulman replied.

"At least the smaller ones seem to be thinning out," Khan remarked as he tossed a pipebomb at the now thinned horde, made thinner a few seconds later.

The four took aim at the Ursa Major, focusing all their fire on it. This only made the large beast angrier and started to charge, and pinned Khan's arm to the ground with its claws, the monster snarling as it tried to bite his head off as Khan tried to keep its mouth away from him. Artyom immediately unholstered his revolver and emptied it on the Ursa's head, all six shots only cracking the mask as the other Rangers unloaded their magazines on its body. Without a second thought, Artyom unsheathed his knife, and punched the Ursa where he shot its mask, shattering it, the monster recoiling from the pain as it bucked away from Khan. Taking the opportunity, Khan unholstered his Lolife, and sprayed the magazine's contents on the Ursa's chest. With a low moan, the Ursa Major wobbled, taking steps back, and fell on its back.

"That was way too close for comfort," Khan said as he panted. "Thank you, everyone."

"Well, we can't have our favourite philosopher die on us, now can we? Not that we believe your crap anyway," Ulman responded as he helped him up.

"Really? Not after our detour through Polyanka?"

"Let's just move on, already," Miller piped in.

"Agreed. We have to head back to the cliff now. Chess pieces are a weird choice of relic, don't you think?" responded Artyom, taking out his orange case, passing it to Khan. The wounded Khan opened the case, took out a syringe, administered the medicine, and passed the case back to Artyom.

The group beheld the field before them. The once green sea of grass was now stained red with Grimm blood, littered with the smoldering bodies of the pitch-black beasts. There were burn marks on the grass, extinguished by the bloodbath that had just ensued. Shallow craters were dug thanks to the explosives. Khan was scouring the field, looking to retrieve the bolts he had used, Ulman doing the same with this throwing knives. 'How did Artyom do that?' he thought to himself as he pulled out two bolts from a Boarbatusk's carcass. 'The knife didn't even touch that beast…' After Khan and Ulman's salvage operation, the four set off for the cliffs.

* * *

_Meanwhile, in the amphitheatre…_

The student body stared at the screen in disbelief. Yang asked Weiss playfully, her ears still ringing a little after Ruby squealed when the Rangers readied their strange weapons, "So what were you saying about being unable to handle a situation they can't sneak their way from?" Weiss didn't respond, her eyes widened, still staring at the screen, at a loss for words. Ruby and Nora were cheering for the four. Pyrrha was deep in thought. 'What was the significance of D6?' Ren had an impressed expression on his face, in contrast to Jaune, who was just as shocked as Weiss.

_Half an hour later…_

"Artyom Glukhovsky, Khan Aitmatov, Ulman Strugatsky, and Miller Strugatsky," Ozpin announced while screens overhead showed the Rangers' pictures with the first letters of their names under it, "You will now be known as Team AKUM, led by Artyom Glukhovsky. Though AKUM is your official designation, you may also be recognized by the name of your Order." A round of applause with looks of confusion followed after Ozpin had finished speaking.

"It's nice to know that we can still be Rangers in this world," said Artyom to his team. "Although, leadership is something new to me."

"Ah well, I knew I was going to be replaced at some point. I think it was time for me to retire, anyway. Maybe just handle Polis guards," Miller responded.

"Though technically, I only really assist the Rangers at times," Khan reported.

"We are at your command, o Marshall," Ulman declared.

* * *

_Cafeteria, 8:30 P.M…._

The Rangers are sitting at a table, digging into their mind-blowingly delicious looking meals, when eight people approached them. They recognized the first four girls; they were Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang. The other four they have never seen before; one blond boy with blue eyes, one boy with long dark hair with a pink streak in it, one short haired girl with orange hair and turquoise eyes, and one redhead with green eyes. "Helloooo~!" Yang called out with the same tone she had greeted Blake the first time they met, waving all the while. The eight took seats beside the four.

"Good evening girls, I see you've brought some friends," Khan responded.

"Nice job with the initiation today," Blake said.

"Thanks. So, are you introducing us or what?" Artyom asked, gesturing to the four new arrivals.

"Oh, I'm Jaune," the blond boy answered.

"Pyrrha. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Nora, and this is Ren."

"A pleasure to meet you all," Miller responded.

"So, where are you guys from?" asked Yang.

"And what did Professor Ozpin mean about an Order?" Weiss questioned.

"Oh, we're from a food delivery company, and Professor Ozpin placed an order," Ulman sarcastically retorted. The eight teens, minus Blake and Ren, groaned.

"Well, it's time for us to get going. Good night, everyone," Artyom stated as the four got up from the table and headed for their dorm room.

"Don't try to dodge the question!" Yang exclaimed. The eight stood up and started following the Rangers.

"**I get the feeling the medkits we have are one of a kind, and we're definitely going to need more. I'll see if I can find someone who can make something like this tomorrow,"** Artyom said.

"**A wise decision," **Khan responded.

"Oh, come on! Why you gotta use your secret code?" Nora asked.

"I get the feeling it's more of a language than a secret code," Weiss stated.

"Who has the time to make up a whole new language?" Jaune wondered.

"Well, that's it for us then, see you kids later," Miller said to the eight.

"Ohoho, you'll definitely be seeing more of us," Yang cheerily responded with a wide grin on her face.

"And why is that? Are you going to set up camp in front of our dorm?" Ulman asked.

"Well, we don't HAVE to set up camp. We're neighbours," Ruby mentioned.

"Our room is right next door, and Team JNPR's is right in front of ours," Weiss added.

"**Well, this will be fun to deal with,"** Ulman sarcastically stated. "Well everyone, good night." The other teams made their way to their dorms.

"Kids? What did he mean by kids?" Ren asked.

"It takes a lot of ego to just address us as 'kids' even though they're our age," Weiss scoffed.

"You're one to talk about ego, Weiss," Yang murmured.

"Well, I think it's time we turned in as well," Blake added, yawning.

"Good night, everyone," said Ruby, waving as she and the rest of her team entered their team's dorm. Team JNPR followed suit, entering their own team's dorm room, shutting the door. What no one noticed was that there was a silver bullet lying in the doorway of Team AKUM's door, leaving it slightly ajar.

* * *

Half an hour later, Ruby sneaked out from her dorm room and slowly opened Team AKUM's door, carefully retrieving the bullet she dropped earlier. She took out her Scroll, raising the brightness enough so she could see, but is dim enough so that it doesn't wake the sleeping Spartans and Khan. She took a look around the room, looking around for the team's arsenal. The hooded girl found the first specimen for her observations, Ulman's Abzats. The reaper tried to lift it, but it was too heavy for her. How did Ulman lift this, let alone fire it in full auto for such a long time during the initiation? She took a closer look at it, and her eyes widened, noticing that this used to be a mounted machinegun. 'The person who converted it must have been a very skilled gunsmith to convert a mounted machinegun to use shotgun shells,' she thought. She tried to look for some sort of transformation mechanism, but failed to do so. 'Why doesn't this thing have mecha-shifting parts?' she wondered, moving on to Khan's Helsing. She gripped the forend of the speargun, pulling it forward, giving it a pump, realising that this was a pneumatic weapon. She was surprised to see such an unconventional way of firing would be so effective. Now, her eyes wandered on to the two main courses of her inquisition, the first being the Clapper. To her it was heavy, but it wasn't as heavy as Crescent Rose, although the integrated suppressor was nice. Ruby then noticed that the slide for the rifle looked like it was just installed, coming to the conclusion that this rifle used to be a bolt-action. Finally, the one weapon she was dying in anticipation to observe: Artyom's Volt Driver. She could barely contain her excitement as she laid her hands on the railgun. This was a very unique design to her. It was the one weapon she could not recognize in any similarity to the weapon magazines she had read throughout her life. Her attention was caught by the voltmeter, the gauge being empty. Of course, "voltmeter" was in Russian, but she had no way of knowing that. She squeezed the handle of the charger once, the voltmeter's needle spiking. Ruby started looking for any signs of a magazine or a clip, realizing that this gun fired ball bearings, which came to her as a surprise. She fiddled around, trying to get the cylinder with the ball bearings off the gun. After further examination, her eyes widened when she realized that magnetism was the driving force of the ball bearings. She was surprised to see that the battery had no visible signs of Dust usage. One didn't have to be Weiss to know that. To her, this was completely alien and unheard of. 'I'm pretty sure that they also carried pistols, some of them were sooooo tricked out. Now where are the-'

_Click._

_Click._

_Click-click._

_Click-click._

Four lasers beamed out from the darkness, all aimed squarely right between the girl's eyes.

"Ruby! What are you doing in our room?!" Miller whispered.

"I'msosorryIjustwantedtotakealookatyourweaponspleaseI'veneverseenanythinglikethisbeforeespeciallyArtyom'smagnetgun…" Ruby responded, whispering as well.

The four put away their pistols, or in Khan's case, his pseudo-SMG. "Besides, why do you have your guns ready when you sleep anyway?" Ruby inquired, fully acknowledging her hypocrisy in that question.

"Uh, maybe for situations like this?" Ulman replied.

"Trust us. If you were from where we're from, this would be one average precaution," Khan commented.

"Listen, since you seem to like our guns so much, how about I make you something from home? Think of it as a gesture of goodwill from our team," Artyom said as he got up. **"Don't worry, I'll just make her a Bastard. Besides, she seems to know what she's doing with guns anyway,"** he whispered to his team.

Ruby's silver eyes widened to the size of large bottle caps. "REALLY? THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!" she whispered loudly.

"Now, now, calm down. You of all people need your rest. Go back to your dorm, okay?" Artyom told Ruby, ruffling her hair a little. Ruby stopped in her tracks.

"Ruby?" Artyom said, waving his hand in front of her face.

"Ruby?" He started snapping his fingers.

"Ruby!" He called out with one loud clap.

"Oh, sorry, I must have spaced out for a second there," the girl responded. "See you tomorrow."

"Alright, then, good night." Artyom shut the door.

Ruby crept back into her dorm room, and went to sleep.

* * *

The cold, harsh wind blew on top of the tower. It was nightfall, but the ruined city was still shining a bright orange, with structures that looked like hives covering the old debris. The view up here was beautiful, despite the grey desolate landscape. A strange device was set up on the edge, a laser shining from it, aiming at the alien hive. Someone was standing on the edge, in front of the strange device. The person was armed to the teeth.

"Twenty seconds to homing procedure completion," a voice played from the strange device.

A strange creature lying on the floor in front of the person was struggling to get up. "Pain…death….prevent…" it whispered, reaching for the device. It started speaking faster. "Save…life…"

"Ten seconds to homing procedure completion…"

"...he does not understand…"

"Five."

"…he can stop death…"

"Four."

"…we want peace…" and with a futile reach for the device, the creature breathed its last.

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

"Homing procedure complete."

Three orange lights emerged from the sky on the other side of the tower, heading towards the hive. The three projectiles struck the hive, and balls of fire emerged from where they crashed. The flames from the explosion lingered as the man sat on the edge of the tower, watching the structures of the alien nest burn.

Ruby almost sprang out from her bed, gasping.

"Had a bad dream?" Blake asked, clutching her head. It was too early in the morning for a migraine.

"It wasn't as much bad as it was…weird…I'll tell you about it at breakfast," Ruby answered.


	4. Chapter 4: Child

Chapter 4

Child

**Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or any of the Metro games or books.**

**A/N: Dialogue in bold is in Russian.**

**As requested, a longer chapter. It started off canon, but I thought that it would be too short, therefore, I let the rest of the day happen. Light-hearted stuff, yadda yadda yadda.**

**Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, if you hadn't guessed yet, I have pretty much no schedule for updating Rangers of Remnant. You could expect an update one or two days after or you could get it much later. I at least try to update weekly, but once again, no schedule, so don't count on it too much.**

**As always, R&amp;R, constructive criticism is always welcome.**

* * *

Teams RWBY, JNPR and AKUM are seated at a cafeteria table for breakfast. The Rangers were in complete ecstasy with their breakfast, slowly savouring it. Not like a certain pink girl, who is devouring her pancakes like a Lurker with a corpse.

"You still haven't answered the question," Yang declared.

"What question?" Miller asked.

"Where are you from?"

"Well, when a man and a woman love each other very much…" Ulman started, cracking a smile.

"Uh-pup-pup-pup some of us are eating here!" Weiss interrupted.

"We're from REALLY far away. Trust us, you won't find it on any map," Artyom answered.

"That's not enough," Yang said, completely unamused. Ruby piped in, "Anyway, I had this really weird dream."

"Oh?" The eleven responded, eyebrows raised.

"Is my dear sister having some…special dreams?" Yang asked, and then sniffled a little, her voice breaking and wiping a fake tear, "She grows up so fast…"

"Yang!" Ruby whined, blushing as red as her cloak. She shrugged the comment off and continued. "Anyway, in my dream, I was on the top of this huge, broken tower, and below it, there was a city, all destroyed with some big weird hive-looking structure on one part. I saw this guy, all armed to the teeth, in front of this weird…thing…"

The Rangers immediately stopped eating, looking at Ruby, serious looks on their faces.

"Destroyed city? Was it Vale?" Blake asked worriedly.

"No. It looked nothing like Vale. The tower kind of looked like the CCT, but it was much taller than the one in Beacon.'

"Weird thing?" Jaune asked.

"Yeah, weird thing. Its skin was all greyish-black, its eyes were wide, all black. It was tall and thin, and looked like an alien from the movies, with what looked like two arms and two legs. It was reaching for this device which was shining a laser on the hive thing. The device then said 'Twenty seconds to homing procedure completion.' The alien was trying to reach for the device whispering stuff about wanting peace and stuff. The thing then died, then the device said 'Ten seconds to homing procedure completion,' and the guy was just standing there. The device then started counting down, and when it finished, three lights came from behind the tower, then crashed onto the hive thing and exploded."

"COOL!" Nora shouted.

"Then, the guy just sat there on the edge of the tower. Then I woke up." Ruby finished.

The eight shifted their attention to the Rangers, who were looking at each other, whispering loudly among themselves. They didn't need to know Russian to know that they were worried about something.

"**How did she know about Ostankino Tower?"** Artyom whispered.

"**Your guess is as good as mine,"** Miller responded.

"**Hey, the kids are looking at us. Act natural,"** Ulman interjected.

Khan was silent, deep in thought.

"So what were you guys talking about?" Pyrrha questioned.

"The mysteries of life," Ulman answered, laying on the sarcasm.

"Well, you didn't sound like you were contemplating our existence," Weiss said.

"Well, that's his job, Anastasia," Ulman retorted, pointing at Khan.

"What does 'Anastasia' even mean? And why do you keep calling me that?" Weiss asked angrily.

"Yeah, stop calling her Anastasia," Jaune added, "Snow Angel works much better."

Weiss groaned with frustration, her face and palm introducing themselves to each other.

"Well," Artyom finally said, glancing at his watch, "I think it's time for us to get to class."

The twelve stood up and walked to their first classroom.

* * *

"Monsters. Daemons. Prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely prefer to them as PREY." Professor Port then started laughing a bit. "And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy. Now as I was saying, Vale, as well as the other three Kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces, and that's where we come in. Huntsmen. Huntresses." He then clicked his tongue at Yang, the latter groaning and rolling her eyes.

"**A bit young for him, wouldn't you think?"** Ulman whispered.

"Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves. From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"

"EEEEEEEEEEYUP!"

"**Well that was a tad awkward,"** Artyom commented.

"That is what you are training to become, but first, a story. A tale of a young, handsome man. Me." The man then started rambling on.

"**Well, someone's a bit full of themselves,"** Miller muttered.

"**I think it's not just himself this guy is full of," **Ulman quietly snickered. **"Make of that as you will."**

Khan was still deep in thought. **"Don't tell me you're actually paying attention to this guy's story,"** Ulman told Khan.

"**It's another matter that I am reflecting on," **Khan responded.

Giggles sounded out from Team RWBY's spot, Weiss glaring at Ruby.

"**Why do I get the feeling something's about to go down?" **Artyom asked.

Professor Port kept rambling on. "The moral of the story? A true huntsman must be honorable."

"**Looks like Weiss is about to explode,"** Miller commented.

"**Why am I laughing at this?" **Ulman wondered, giggling a bit at Ruby balancing a book and an apple on a pencil with her index finger.

"A true huntsman must be dependable."

"**I think I want to get under this desk now, Anastasia looks like she's going to shoot someone,"** Ulman commented.

"**I know how she feels,"** Miller responded.

"A true huntsman must be strategic, well-educated and wise."

"**Holy crap, Anastasia is actually shaking right now," **Ulman whispered.

"**Not even taking your bullshit will make me do that, Ulman. I'm actually worrying about her right now," **Miller quietly responded.

"Now, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?"

Weiss's hand sprung up so quickly, one might think her arm was spring-loaded. "I do, sir!" she said, gritting her teeth.

"Well then, let's find out. Step forward, and face your opponent," Port replied, pointing to a cage.

"**Is he seriously going to release a monster in here?" **Artyom asked, with a look of disbelief on his face.** "Even Ranger training wasn't this brutal."**

Weiss stepped out of the classroom for a few minutes, and returned with her trademark bolero jacket, combat skirt, heels and Myrtenaster.

"**A rapier? Why would she use a rapier? Doesn't this world have guns?"** Miller wondered.

"Go Weiss!" Yang cheered.

"Fight well!" Blake added, waving a pennant.

"Yeah, represent Team RWBY!" Ruby shouted.

"Ruby, I'm trying to focus!" Weiss replied.

"**Really? Of all the people in your team to snap at, you snap at the little one?"** Ulman whispered.

"**I get the feeling something is bothering her. Notice how she didn't mind anyone else's cheers but Ruby's,"** Khan commented.

"All right. Let the match…begin!" Port exclaimed, chopping off the lock on the cage. A boarbatusk charged from the cage at Weiss, who promptly sidestepped it, and delivered a quick slash to its side.

"**The fact that she doesn't have a gun concerns me. These things are tougher than your average Watchman, yet you're fighting one with just a sword?"** Artyom said in a low voice.

The boarbatusk turned to Weiss and stared at her.

"Haha, wasn't expecting that, were you?" Port proclaimed.

"Hang in there, Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed.

Weiss propelled herself forward, rapier aimed for the beast's face. The boarbatusk deflected Myrtenaster, the sword caught in its long, curved tusks. Weiss struggled as she attempted to pull the rapier out of the beast's tusks.

"Hold your approach! I like it!" Port bellowed.

"Come on Weiss, show it who's boss!" Ruby exclaimed. Weiss glanced at Ruby, which gave the boarbatusk opportunity to launch her weapon behind it, clanking and sliding away to the opposite side of the room. The beast then launched Weiss off it, sending her flying on her back.

"**As much as I'd like to say Ruby is distracting her, this is partly her fault for getting distracted in the first place. A battlefield is a shitty place to lose your concentration," **Miller silently commented.

"Oho, now what will you do without your weapon?" Port asked.

The boarbatusk charged towards Weiss, who rolled away just in time, and ran for Myrtenaster. She slid towards it and picked it up.

"Weiss, go for its belly! There's no armour underneath!" Ruby shouted.

"Stop telling me what to do!" Weiss screamed back. Ruby's expression looked like her heart was just pierced.

"**Looks like there's some drama underneath this situation. I think I'm going to look into this," **Artyom mumbled.

The boarbatusk hopped, and then started spinning on the ground like a yo-yo, its rotation accelerating all the while. The creature rolled towards Weiss, who blocked its advance with one light-blue glyph, knocking the beast on its back. She hopped onto a second glyph behind her, the circle turning black almost immediately, then she launched herself at the boarbatusk, impaling it in the heart with Myrtenaster.

"**What in the hell was that? This is the kind of shit you'd see in fairy tales!"** Ulman almost yelled, remembering where he was.

"**I am just as dumbfounded as you are, my friend,"** Artyom responded.

Miller was speechless at the display. How did she create those strange circles?

"Bravo! Bravo! It appears that we are indeed in the presence of a true Huntress-in-training. I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today." Port stated as Weiss stood up. "Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and…stay vigilant! Class dismissed." Weiss stormed off to the exit, Ruby giving chase. At the same time, the Rangers stood up, following suit.

* * *

If one were to say Weiss was upset, that would be an understatement. To say that Weiss was furious with the force of a universe being created…would also be an understatement. Ruby turned a corner behind Weiss, catching up to her, not knowing that there were four others following them.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out.

Weiss turned around and responded, her teeth grinding against themselves. "What?"

"What's wrong with you? Why are you being-"

"What's wrong with ME? What's wrong with YOU? You're supposed to be a leader, and all you've been so far is a nuisance!"

Ruby scoffed. "What did I do?!"

Weiss screamed at her again. "That's just it – you've done nothing to earn your position! Back in the forest, you acted like a child, and you've only continued to do so!"

"Weiss, where is this coming from? What happened to all the talk about 'working together?' I thought you believed in acting as a team…"

"Not a team led by you. I've studied AND trained. And frankly, I deserve better. Ozpin made a mistake." Weiss responded, and continued storming off.

"**Hm. Weiss kind of reminds me of someone,"** Artyom stated.

"**What do you mean, 'kind of?' It's blatant to say the least," **Ulman commented.

"**I'll go and talk to Ruby. Colonel, please handle Weiss," **Artyom commanded.

"**Consider it done,"** Miller responded.

"**I think I'll go talk to Ozpin. What kind of kids do they train here?" **Ulman chipped in.

"**I think I'll follow Ulman," **Khan added.

"**Then it's settled. Let's go,"** Artyom replied. On that note, the four split off.

* * *

Ruby was heartbroken, to say the least. She thought that she can pull her team together, like one happy little sisterhood, but Weiss crushed that dream into a fine powder. She then started questioning her ability as a leader, trying to hold back tears, when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Artyom asked with concern imprinted on his face.

"Weiss just told me that I don't deserve to be a leader," Ruby replied, sniffling after every few words. "Do you think she's right?"

"Try not to let her words affect you too much. I've seen her type before. Tell me, how did you get to this school?" Artyom questioned.

"W-well, I stopped a b-bunch of thieves who held up this Dust shop," Ruby answered, hiccupping a little every few words. "Because of that, I got moved two years ahead from Signal Academy to Beacon. Right now, I'm the youngest student here, at fifteen years old."

"Let me tell you a story. I-uh, I mean, my father once met this lady named Anna. He said she was…irritating…to say the least. She always talked down on him, despite the fact that his…accolades…would have earned him lots of praise." Artyom stated, the last sentence in a melancholy tone. "Her nickname for him was 'Rabbit' or 'Little Rabbit.' I didn't know why she thought of him as inferior to her. Maybe it was because he wasn't this guy they both knew. Anyway, they were both sent on a mission."

"Is this story going somewhere?" Ruby questioned.

"Yes. Anyway, they were sent out to…look for something. Anna was on top of this building, giving my father sniper cover. Well, he fell unconscious, to this day I don't know why, and he was taken by a bunch of guys. She told me she tried to save him, but she couldn't reach the truck they took him in on time. She told me that while he was still missing that she felt guilty about ridiculing him, and vowed to stop if she saw him again. Well, they found him again, but not before him and a bunch of other guys, including Anna, fought this huge monster. She apologized when they got my father to safety, both for making fun of him and not saving him when he got taken away."

"What happened to them?" Ruby's eyes now glittering a little, interested in the chronicles of Artyom, not that she knew that it was actually about him, and Anna.

"Let's just say…they made up. I'll leave it at that," Artyom answered, blushing ever so lightly. "The moral here is, you got here because of what you are able to do. What you deserve is determined by what you did to earn it. Weiss will warm up to you, trust me. Just like my father and Anna. All you have to do is keep trying."

"Thanks, Artyom," said Ruby, now in a slightly cheery tone.

"What are friends for? Now, let's go see about making that gun I promised you," Artyom replied. Ruby beamed, and the two walked off.

* * *

Weiss continued her stomping down the hall. If you look very closely, you might be able to see an imprint of her heels on the floor, albeit said imprint is just about a millimeter or so deep. She heard footsteps behind her. She shouted, not looking back, "Leave me alone, Ruby!"

A deep, gravelly voice responded. "I'm not Ruby."

Weiss turned around to see Miller right behind her. "What do you want, Miller?" she asked with a scowl.

"Your performance in that fight with the boarbatusk was terrible," Miller commented, shaking his head.

Weiss objected. "Well, it wasn't MY fault! Ruby was-"

"I agree. Ruby was distracting you."

"So you do get it," she responded, her arms crossed, chin raised.

"No. It was also partly your fault."

"What? How could it POSSIBLY be my fault?" Weiss asked to the point of yelling while glaring at Miller.

"You let yourself be distracted. A battlefield is the worst place to lose your concentration, and if ANYTHING succeeded in distracting you, you would have died right then and there!" Miller barked with a tone of authority he hadn't used since the last time he trained recruits long before he came to leading the Rangers. Miller let out a sigh and said "Let me tell you a story. I-uh-my father was once the leader of our Order, and he had the best of the best as his teammates. One day, he decided to give this guy who just came out of the blue a spot on his team."

"And this relates to me how?" Weiss impatiently asked.

"Now, this guy was a still a rookie. Sure, he knew how to fight, but he wasn't as properly trained as they were."

"If this 'Order' of yours only picked the best of the best, how did this guy get in?" Weiss questioned, now curious about this unknown newbie.

"Well, this man, let's call him Ivan, lived very, very far away from our headquarters. Where we're from, traveling between sta-I mean-villages never meant travelling in a straight line. He went through countless hardships to get to Polis, our headquarters, to deliver the news that one of my father's friends who had gone missing to fight off a…threat…and most likely, he was dead. My father's friend had trusted Ivan to go to Polis and look for my father if he didn't return. He went through long, dangerous roads, killed a massive amount of Grimm, and escaped from so many dangerous situations. He kept going on his treacherous journey just to tell him about what's threatening his home. They managed to solve his problem, but the solution was not easy to get to, but they did it, and the facility that they found to solve the problem also served as a great base of operations. My father inducted him on the spot that day. To this day, he's still in that team, laying down their lives for the safety of the people."

Weiss was speechless. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that a rookie, who had simply appeared out of the blue, managed to get into the best team of this unknown Order.

"My point is, never underestimate the people you work with. Granted, Ruby seems childish now, but you can expect that from someone her age. It only takes time to whittle down those flaws and polish them," Miller said, then walked away, leaving Weiss standing there, appearing to be in deep thought.

* * *

Ozpin was sitting on his desk, his trademark mug in arm's reach, trying to make a dent in today's paperwork, when the elevator door opened.

"Ah, Mr. Strugatsky and Mr. Aitmatov. What brings you to my office today?" he asked the two that had just entered his office.

"We only have one question. What kind of kids are you training here?" Ulman asked.

"What do you mean?" Ozpin responded.

"During class, we saw Weiss create two strange circles out of thin air. In our world, this is the kind of thing one would only see in fairy tales and fantasy stories," Khan answered.

"Ah, that would be Ms. Schnee's Semblance." Ozpin replied, and then took a sip from his mug.

"Semblance?" The pair questioned.

"To explain the concept of a Semblance, I must first explain Aura to you. You see, every person and animal on Remnant has an Aura. It is the manifestation of our souls. To put it simply, if you have a soul, you have an Aura, although, only humans and Faunus can weaponize Aura for their own protection. It is also required to trigger the use of Dust."

"So since we were able to put Dust in our grenades and use them…" Khan said.

"Therefore, you have an Aura. The four of you do," Ozpin answered back.

"So what did you mean by 'weaponizing' our Aura?" Khan asked.

"Aura is a great utility for Huntsmen and Huntresses. It can heal minor wounds and can defend from attacks. Most people use Aura for defending, but it can be channeled offensively."

"Does this mean that theoretically, if I give Khan a cut right now, he won't be harmed?" Ulman asked. Khan glared at Ulman for a second.

"Not necessarily. You four have lived your lives without knowing the existence of Aura, and thus, you either have your Aura fully or partially locked. In your case, your Aura is most likely partially locked, to a certain degree that you can only channel an unnoticeable amount, but enough to use your Dust bombs."

"What about the Grimm, sir?" Ulman questioned.

"The Grimm are incapable of using Aura. They do not have souls."

"And when do these 'Semblances' come into play?" Ulman asked.

"A Semblance is the manifestation of a person's innate and personal power. It is essentially an ability that is unique to each person, and is a more tangible projection of your Aura. It usually ties into one's personalities, but there have been cases of Semblances becoming hereditary to an extent."

"Surely there is a limit as to how much one can use this Semblance that you speak of. After all, nothing is free," Khan commented.

"And you would be right, Mr. Aitmatov. Prolonged use of one's Semblance will drain that person's Aura, and effects can range from fatigue or worse."

"This is really interesting stuff. So, how are we supposed to have our Auras fully unlocked?" Ulman asked.

"Unlocking one's Aura usually means rigorous training and willpower, although someone else with enough training can unlock it manually. I can do it for you right now if you wish," Ozpin remarked.

"What about our Semblances?" Khan queried.

"That you must find out for yourself. The use of your Aura can help you discover your Semblance," Ozpin answered.

"Alright, let's do it. If you don't mind, sir, could you call the rest of our team over here?" Ulman requested.

"Of course," Ozpin replied, and did just that.

* * *

"Why are we headed to your locker?" Ruby asked Artyom.

"Because, if I've read you correctly, you're not the one to stand perfectly still, especially with excitement over, let's say, a new weapon. So, to alleviate your boredom, I will let you use mine."

Ruby started shaking. To say that she seemed like she was having a seizure is an understatement. To say that she is having a sort of religious fervour, as if she was being visited or possessed by the God of Weapons and Arms…would also be an understatement.

"Take your pick," Artyom told her as he opened his locker. In a flash, the Volt Driver disappeared in front of him, a flurry of petals flying to the back of his head. "How did you do that? I haven't seen someone move that fast since…nevermind." He closed his locker, and the pair walked off.

They arrived at the machine shop, and Artyom gave Ruby a crash course in using it, leaving out the detail of electrocution by prong, then handed her three cylinders worth of ball bearings, and she sped off. 'Just like Sasha,' he mused to himself, recalling the curious and talkative little boy he carried from a mutant-infested station to his mother's arms, and set to work on the Bastard gun.

After some time, Ruby returned, Volt Driver in hand, all three cylinders emptied out. "This thing is so cool! It was all Zap! Kzzzt! Of course, I still love my Crescent Rose."

Artyom was slightly confused. "Crescent Rose?"

Ruby smiled. It was time to show off her sweetheart. With a flourish, she unfolded Crescent Rose in its scythe form, Artyom jumping back in surprise.

"**Holy shit! **Why do you have a scythe?"

"It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle. I made Crescent Rose myself." She then folded it back to its inactive state.

"Such a large weapon can be folded into something remarkably small for its size…I need a favour. But first, a promise is a promise." Artyom stepped aside, and picked up the weapon. It was a submachine gun of a simple design, the body being a simple cylinder, getting narrower as one would reach the end of the barrel. A seemingly out of place hollow rectangular piece was on the body, making room for the mechanism that chambers each round. Right now, the mechanism was elevated a little. There was also a seemingly out of place cylinder on the body of the barrel, which had a hole on the top. If an old Earth historian were to look at it, he would say that this was more or less a Sten gun. Artyom also picked up seven rectangular metal frames, all loaded with thirty bullets each.

"What is it?"

"This, my friend, is the Bastard gun. I'll explain the name later. For now, to the range." Artyom then grabbed his weapons, and the two headed off to the range.

"Now, how to use this humble submachine gun. It takes 5.45 calibre bullets." He then handed the unloaded Bastard and a magazine to Ruby. "To load it, simply push the magazine from the right side of the gun into this rectangular piece, push it down, and pull the slide. To remove the magazine, slap it from left to right." Ruby slid the magazine into the gun and pulled the slide, chambering a bullet. "Fire a few rounds. Semi-auto." Artyom ordered. She then aimed the Bastard downrange and fired. She noticed that the magazine port moved up and down with each shot she took, and it the rectangular frame of the magazine to the right. "This chambering mechanism is pretty cool," she commented.

"Now go nuts. Full auto. Use it all up," Artyom said, handing Ruby three more magazines.

Ruby happily complied, squeezing the trigger. "The fire rate on this thing is insane!" she yelled over the roar of the Bastard. She emptied the first magazine, reloaded, and emptied the second one. Steam hissed from the vent on the body. "Why is steam coming out of the gun?" she asked as she reloaded.

"Don't mind it for now. Keep firing," Artyom replied, trying to conceal a smile.

Ruby squeezed the trigger once more. The magazine was almost empty, when she suddenly stopped. Ruby was shocked, her face looking like she just destroyed a priceless artifact. Her hands started shaking, the same thought rushing through her head; she broke the gun Artyom made for her right in front of him. Artyom's face was twitching. Her knees started getting weak, and she was starting to feel faint.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID?!" Artyom screamed at her.

"No-I-uh-I-didn-no-uh I'M SORRY!" Ruby cried out.

Artyom's face was still twitching, then stopped. He suddenly dropped the angry look and gently smiled. "You jammed it," he said nonchalantly, and started laughing. Hard.

"I-it wast just j-jammed? WHY MUST YOU TOY WITH MY EMOTIONS LIKE THIS?! WHAT KIND OF A PERSON ARE YOU?!"

Artyom was laughing his sides off. "The kind-AHAHAHA-that's gonnaHAHAHAHAHhelp you unjam it. Sorry, I just needed a good laugh," he said. _'God knows how long it's been since I sincerely laughed.'_ "See the knob at the end of the barrel? Twist it and pull it out, then give the chambering mechanism a good whack and pull the slide. That's how you vent out the steam from the water jacket and unjam it, in that order." Ruby did as she was told; pulling the knob out, giving the chamber a good whack with her fist, then pulled the slide, clearing the jam. She then closed off the vent, and twisted the knob, locking it in place. "So why do you call it the 'Bastard?'" the hooded girl asked.

"One of the reasons is that this gun is actually made of parts from different guns and other miscellaneous parts one could scavenge. See the barrel shroud? That used to be a flashlight. The foregrip used to be the handle of a kitchen knife. The other reason is this: you already know about the fire rate, now take a look downrange," Artyom said. The range was a mess. There were bullet holes pretty much everywhere, almost as if the gun itself tried its absolute hardest to miss. "It's got poor accuracy and it overheats every two magazines. It's a real bastard to use, hence the name. It's at its greatest in close quarters fired in short bursts, and you can add stuff like a silencer, a heatsink, sights and so on. You're going to have to ask someone else about the heatsink, because I have no idea how to install one. Now, onto the favour."

"Which is….?"

"You have shown me that you are capable of creating a large scythe that can be compacted into something significantly smaller. I want you to do something for me." He unholstered his revolver, twirling it like a cowboy from an old movie. "I want you to put a stock and a foregrip on my revolver. You see, I want the stability of the stock and foregrip, but I don't want it to take up space in case things get too close for comfort and I can't draw it because it's too long."

"So you want a retractable stock and foregrip, but you want to keep the pistol grip?" the redhead asked.

"Exactly."

"That...is...a cool idea! You want to be able to switch between pistol and carbine!" Ruby responded with a smile on her face. "I'd be happy to do it. I kind of feel that I owe you."

"No, no, you don't owe me anything. I'm just trying to be the good person my mother always believed I could be," Artyom replied, with a smile, but his voice was slightly melancholy. He then took out a magazine and a clip of military-grade bullets and handed it to Ruby.

"Uhh...why are you giving me bullets?" the redhead asked.

"Oh, oops. Sorry, old habits." The Ranger returned the ammunition in his pockets.

The PA system sounded out, "Would Artyom Glukhovsky and Miller Strugatsky please report to the Headmaster's office? Artyom Glukhovsky and Miller Strugatsky to the Headmaster's office."

"Ooh, that's my cue. I'll leave you to it. Maybe just drop by our room later when you're done?" Artyom asked.

"Consider it done," Ruby answered, and as the Ranger left, she set off to work, still wondering why he was going to give her a bunch of bullets, and why her new gun was made of scavenged parts, not that she was complaining.

* * *

A few minutes later, Miller and Artyom arrived at the office, escorted by Professor Goodwitch. "Professor Goodwitch, you and I will be unlocking the Auras of these four students. After all, we can't have them running around without it, right?" Ozpin asked.

"Knowing their past, it makes sense that they wouldn't have it fully unlocked," Goodwitch commented. After a quick explanation of Aura and Semblances from Ulman and Khan to the other two, the staff set to work.

Ulman, Miller and Khan started experimenting a bit with their now unlocked Auras.

"Well, thank you for unlocking our Auras. We'll be taking our leave now," Artyom said. The Rangers and Khan exited the office.

"Did you notice it too?" Ozpin asked Glynda.

"Yes I did. Artyom Glukhovsky's Aura has already been unlocked."

The Rangers were excited to try out their newfound powers in their room. They were experimenting with it, doing all sorts of things to test it out, which included giving themselves cuts on their fingers to have their Auras heal it, among other things. **"Holy crap, this Aura stuff is amazing! I wonder what our Semblances could be…"** Ulman wondered.

"**I'm curious as well,"** Miller commented.

Khan was sitting on the windowsill, staring out into the night, questions still ringing in his mind. How did they get to this strange world? How did Artyom get that Ursa Major off him without touching it, bullets notwithstanding? How did a little girl who they have never met beforehand have dreams of Artyom's memories?

"**Hey, let's have a spar. Knives only, right here, right now. Let's test this Aura stuff out,"** Ulman declared, a grin plastered on his face.

"**It doesn't sound too safe,"** Miller answered.

"**Since when did our spiritual leader get scared of a little knife, huh? Besides, Professor Goodwitch told us we can track our Auras on our Scrolls anyway. What do you say, tournament style?"** Ulman teased.

"**Well, if you put it that way, bring it on. I'm not getting any younger…again…"** Miller replied.

The two took out their knives and started lunging at each other, causing a ruckus at every swipe. A knock sounded out from their door. Artyom walked up and opened said door. "Oh, hey Ruby," he greeted.

_*thump*_

"I finished with the stock and foregrip on your revolver. Here you go," she responded with a smile, and handed the revolver over to its rightful owner.

"Strange, it doesn't look too different," Artyom stated as he twirled it around. There was a little black shape right in front of the trigger guard, and it feels slightly heavier, but that was it.

_*thok*_

"Oh, just turn that knob on the grip," Ruby commanded.

The Ranger did as he was told. The black shape sprung out, forming the foregrip, and the bottom of the pistol's grip opened, and a rifle stock unfolded itself from it.

"This is exactly what I had in mind. Thank you," Artyom said.

_*crash*_

"No problem. What are friends for, right?" Ruby answered. "Oh, and press the button again to retract it!" She then walked off, going back to her room. The Ranger went back inside, drew his knife, and shouted, **"ALL RIGHT BITCHES LET'S GET IT ON!" **The other two roared, and the three started fighting.

_Meanwhile…_

Ruby walked back into her dorm room, a smile on her face. Her sister noticed this, and said "So, you look surprisingly cheery today, Rubes."

"Well, I couldn't without some help," Ruby replied.

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"Well, after the whole thing with Weiss, Artyom came by and cheered me up. He made me a gun, too."

"Wait, he made you a gun?" Blake asked.

"**ALL RIGHT BITCHES LET'S GET IT ON!"**

**"URAAAAAAAAAAA!"**

"Why are those dolts making so much noise?!" Weiss asked no one, completely annoyed.

"Yeah. But not before he let me play with his gun."

Yang was not really paying a lot of attention, until Ruby mentioned that the Russian let her play with his "gun." Her lilac eyes flashed a very dangerous red.

"What did you say?!" Yang yelled, her anger starting to build up like air in a shaken bottle of soda.

"He let me play with his gun. It was big and heavy, but it was fun," Ruby replied nonchalantly.

Blake was blushing. She was not expecting Ruby, the sweet, innocent little girl that she called leader to be involved in such a matter, and her description of-NO. She needed to stop right there.

Yang was livid, her hair blazing like a sun was just born in her golden locks. "Hold. That. Thought." she growled, gnashing her teeth, and went next door. Blake followed suit, hoping to complain about the noise the Rangers were making before Yang beats their leader into a pulp. "Yang, wait!" Ruby shouted, chasing after her. The blonde pounded on the door. No answer. 'No doubt because of the noise they're making,' Blake thought to herself. At that moment, Team JNPR stepped out of their room, also hoping to complain about the noise. The furious blonde pounded on the door again. The door swung open, and out popped Khan. "Hello everyone, I apologize about the noise, the other three should be just about spent by now."

"Never mind that, where's Artyom?!" Yang gnarled.

"Please, do come in," Khan opening the door wider, letting the two teams behold the room. The three Rangers were panting, knives in hand. Artyom was lying on the floor. Ulman was leaning on a desk, while Miller sat on a bed. There were a few throwing knives stuck on the walls and floor as well.** "Well, that was kind of fun,"** Ulman panted. **"Oh, we have guests,"** Artyom glibly stated, still panting, and stood up. "So, to what do we owe th-"

A fist launched itself at his face, sending him flying across the room. The sheer power of that punch reminded Artyom of the Rhino Nosalis's charge before he killed it. **"Ah fuck, that hurt,"** he muttered, and stood up again. "What was that for?!"

"That was for defiling my little sister!"

"What are you talking about?"

"How about the fact that you let her play with your 'gun?'" She spat out, cocking her arm for another punch. Ulman burst out laughing. **"Man, that is low. I was not expecting you to hit on her, but come on!"**

Ruby grabbed Yang's shoulder and spun her around. "I was talking about THIS gun!" she clarified, pointing at the Volt Driver. "What were you thinking when I said I was playing with his gun, sis?!"

"I was just being nice. Especially since she decided to break in here to look at our firearms..." Artyom said.

Yang's fervor finally settled down, and she helped Artyom up. "Sorry about that," she chuckled awkwardly, playing with her hair a little.

"Ugh, what you've done is understandable," Artyom responded, brushing himself off.

"So...you snuck into the bedroom of four boys, Rubes..."

"I'M NOT GOING TO DEAL WITH THIS!" Ruby screamed, speeding out of the room.

"What else were you doing in there, my dear sister?" she shouted, giving chase to the hooded girl.

"LALALALALALALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" Ruby's voice faded as she sprinted down the hall. She was not going to take Yang's teasing. She's not having any of it.

"What were you doing that made so much noise? Pyrrha asked.

"Oh come on, the noise wasn't that bad. I actually liked the noise. Can we bring the noise back? Ooh, ooh, can I add to the noise?" Nora asked in her usual fast paced speech.

"No!" the six replied in unison.

"Well, we just had our Auras unlocked, so we tried it out," Miller responded.

"Wait, so you fought off a massive horde of Grimm at the initiation WITHOUT Aura? Are you insane? Pyrrha questioned.

"I have to say, that was pretty suicidal," Ren commented.

"So we decided to test it out. And by test it out…" Artyom added.

"I meant start a three-way knife fight," Ulman chuckled. "Don't worry, we were keeping track."

"Why do I get the feeling you guys will be doing something weird every time we decide to visit this room?" Jaune asked.

"That...is...AWESOME!" Nora shouted.

"Oh, would you look at the time, it's almost lights out," Artyom commented, looking at his watch. "Good night, everyone." The two teams filed out of the room back into their own dorms.

* * *

The man walked through the crowded station, when he heard crying from around the corner.

"All right, it's okay, alright, hush, baby, hush. What happened?" The woman told her child, trying to comfort him.

"I lost my teddy bear!" the little boy cried.

"Hush, baby, it's all right. We'll find your teddy bear, don't cry... Where did you walk today?" The mother asked, her voice sounding like it can soothe a storm.

"I wanted to show him the shooting range, but I got yelled at and ran!" the boy responded and started sobbing again. The man walked away from where he was leaning and approached a man in a leather jacket.

"The rules are simple. You take position and kill all the critters," the range master told him. "If you make it before the signal, you can collect your winnings."

The man nodded and gave the range master something.

"Come on in, take position!" the range master said, moving out of the way. The man smiled, walked up to the raised platform and cocked his Kalash. He heard four beeps, and the sheet metal wall in front of him moved out of the way. On the floor below his shooting balcony, five rats scurried out. In a blink, the man snapped his aim at one of the rats and fired, and proceeded to make short work of the four. The spectators who were directly under the shooting platform groaned, losing bets to someone who said that he wouldn't hit anything.

He approached the range master. "Great! Here's your winnings," he told him and handed the rifleman some bullets. "How about a raise?" The man smiled and doubled up, reloading his Kalash as he walked up to the platform. The sheet metal wall rolled down, and five rats scurried out. The man took aim and fired at each rat, the spectators both complimenting and cursing his great aim. Five more rats scurried out, and he made short work of them as well. He approached the range master again, took his winnings, and doubled up again at the range master's suggestion. This time, there were fifteen rats to take care of. Each bullet found its home in each rat's body, with great speed and sharp aim from the man. The people who bet against him were going home empty handed tonight.

"That was something," the range master told the man as he handed him his winnings. The range master opened a drawer behind him and took out a stuffed bear. "Here's a special prize for you. The targets usually last til the evening...well, our barbecue is going to be busy for a little while." The man took the toy, walked back to the mother and her child, and gave the boy his bear.

"My teddy bear! Mom, the teddy bear is back! Where have you been? Were the buns good? Don't leave me again!" the child exclaimed happily, speaking a mile a minute as he hugged the stuffed animal.

The mother stood up and faced him. "Oh, thank you so much! I was at a loss," she said with a relieved sigh. She faced her son and asked, "What should you say? This person helped your teddy bear come home, so what should you say?"

The child faced the man and thanked him. The mother faced the man as well, and said "Thank you so much, you're a Godsend. Simon brought that teddy bear from the surface. Toys are scarce here, as you know, so he grew really fond of it." She knelt down in front of the boy again and asked, "How about we go home now?"

"Can I play here some more?"

"Alright, but not for long. We'll go home soon." And with that, the child sat down, and played with his reunited friend.

Ruby opened her eyes, now tearing up a little.

The rest of her team heard the commotion and approached Ruby's bunk. "What's wrong, Ruby?" questioned Blake.

"I just had...*sniff* the most touching dream..." Ruby replied. "I'll tell you *sniff* about it later..."

"Touching, huh?" Yang sweetly asked, drumming her fingers together, stroking her chin.

Weiss and Blake groaned. "Only you can ruin a moment like this, Yang," Weiss chided.


End file.
